


No Mercy for the Storm

by Malkuthe



Series: At the Break of Dawn [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Did I Mention Angst?, Jason Grace is not as dense as Percy, M/M, More angst, Nico di Angelo is a stubborn dork, Nightmares, Oh and more angst, Percy Jackson is dense, Piper is secretly shipping Will Solace and Nico di Angelo -so- hard, Skeletons, Will Solace is also a dork., Will Solace is angry, Will Solace is determined, traumatic memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-24 12:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2580866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malkuthe/pseuds/Malkuthe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo falls into a hellish nightmare that triggers an instinct to summon the dead to protect him. No one can stir him from his sleep, but Will Solace will be damned if he doesn’t try. He has to prove to himself, above all, that he can take care of the son of Hades on his own. When Jason Grace and Percy Jackson show up to offer their help, they are less than welcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Weathering the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belonging to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series belong to me. If you don't like male-on-male relationships, walk away now.
> 
> Alright. So. This is a more angsty variant of my SolAngelo fics. This is based on the headcanon that Will Solace is almost every bit as insecure as Nico di Angelo was. Also, whenever I write about these two, I imagine Nico as 17 and Will as 19. Just think of it as an AU where everyone was about three years older.
> 
> This is a direct sequel to the previous work, [Three Days in Darkness](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2556674/chapters/5684321) and expands on what happened while Nico was knocked out in the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Three Days in Darkness.

_Whatever trouble was brewing in the infirmary was anything but_ little _. Nico di Angelo was having a nightmare, despite Will Solace’s best efforts to prevent them. Some experiences simply left wounds too deep, too significant to ignore. Will was there, though no longer by Nico’s side. The son of Apollo was running around the infirmary, jumping over mercifully-empty beds, leading a veritable army of skeletal soldiers around in an effort to distract them from Nico. He didn’t really need to distract them. As soon as they rose, they seemed to go straight for the son of Apollo._

_Will was waiting on his half-brother Andrew to fetch him a celestial bronze sword from the armoury. He’d first charged the boy with evacuating the other patients, which thankfully he did in record time. Now, it was only a matter of time before one of two things happened: he arrived with the weapon for Will, or Will became overran by the undead soldiers. The weapon came not a moment too soon. He was about to be overwhelmed._

_The other son of Apollo tossed the blade to Will, who caught it out of the air and struck down the nearest skeleton in one fluid motion that he had not anticipated he’d be able to do. He had been training with Lou Ellen, but he’d not expected he would be in combat so soon. The golden-haired demigod dashed through the infirmary, cutting down any skeletal soldier stupid enough to get in his way. He didn’t rest until he returned to Nico’s side. The son of Hades’ face was contorted in absolute anguish._

_Nico’s back was arched off of the bed. His arms were tucked to his sides, hands strained into claws, the tension in them palpable. His legs were stiff, his entire body rigid and locked into position. Will placed his hands on Nico, and summoned his healing light, which he’d practised on the other patients in the infirmary, but the pain Nico was feeling rebounded._

_The membrane of light forming over Nico’s body snapped, and recoiled, like a rubber band, back into Will’s hands and into his body. He felt the agony that the son of Hades was experiencing for a split second before he was hurled into the nearby wall. That had been a bad idea. “Nico!” he cried out, shaking the son of Hades by his shoulder, but to no avail._

_Nico would not stir from his deep, fitful slumber, and soon enough Will’s voice became hoarse from shouting the son of Hades’ name at the top of his lungs. Chiron cantered into the infirmary and shot an arrow at a skeleton that decided that then was a good time to crawl out of a fissure in the infirmary floor. The thing dissolved instantly, and the bronze arrow embedded itself in the wall above Nico’s bed. The son of Apollo glared at the centaur. Chiron hesitated, wanting to step inside. “I can deal with this myself!” he yelled, a crazed look in his eyes._

_Chiron had trained heroes long enough to know that look. He understood. There had been many in his experience who’d never believed in themselves, who thought that there was something they needed to prove. Will Solace was one such soul, and who was he to deny him that chance? The centaur nodded and trotted away. Will tried to justify the refusal of help by saying he was only doing it so that no one else would be put at needless risk, though no one was listening for the lame excuse. He_ did _have something he wanted to prove._

_He wanted to prove that he could take care of Nico di Angelo on his own. It wasn’t like he couldn’t fight the skeletons alone. They were slow, and lumbering, as though they were half-asleep and unresponsive like Nico himself. The only trouble was their numbers. Will couldn’t help the dread that gripped his heart when seven crawled out of the Underworld at the same time. He looked briefly at Nico, whose form briefly flickered. Will’s grip on his sword tightened in anger and despair. With a guttural battlecry, he raced at the skeletons and turned them into dust._

_Will soon found out why Andrew had taken so long getting his weapon. There was unwelcome company. Two other demigods whom, unlike Chiron, were not about to back down from Will Solace. Jason Grace and Percy Jackson stood side by side by the threshold of the infirmary, weapons drawn, looking entirely ready for a fight. Instead, what they witnessed, was Will cutting down a skeleton that had burst out from right in front of the doorway. As the undead warrior’s dust settled, the son of Apollo regarded the two other demigods with a glare. “Why are you here?” he snarled with uncharacteristic aggression._

_The son of Jupiter was somewhat taken aback. The son of Poseidon didn’t care. He wanted to help his friend. Percy tried to push past Will, but the son of Apollo had other ideas. Percy took a single step, and, almost instantly, found himself windmilling backwards out of the infirmary. The son of Apollo had somehow managed to shove him back out in the span of a second. Jason noted that there was a slight golden glow hanging around Will. It was probably a blessing from Apollo, but given that the god was in enough trouble, he did not know what to make of it._

_Maybe Artemis had gotten their father to pardon Apollo after all. It was unlikely. Nevertheless, he was shaken out of his thoughts when Percy stormed back up to the threshold. “Man! Solace! We’re here to help!” he protested. The son of Poseidon was too busy trying to look over his shoulder to check up on Nico, that he did not notice the quick flash of anger that crossed the son of Apollo’s face. Jason wasn’t so distracted. He was watching Will. He noticed._

_The son of Jupiter had the feeling that they would be asked to leave soon enough, by force, if necessary. There was a burning determination, and something else that Jason couldn’t quite name, dwelling behind the golden-haired demigod’s eyes. He decided that even if he was told to stay out of the infirmary, he would remain to watch in case something untoward occurred. Another group of skeletons clawed their ways out of the ground, but before either Percy or Jason could react, Will had already taken care of them. As the dust of the Underworld creatures settled, the son of Apollo returned to the doorway._

_Will planted himself in such a way that neither Jason nor Percy could just dash past him. He was determined to keep them out. “Why, Jackson? You don’t think I can handle a few skeletons?” was the challenge. The head counsellor of Apollo bared his teeth. Then he glanced furtively back at Nico in his bed by the corner. “I can handle myself just fine, thank you” he growled. Percy was dense enough to not get why Will Solace was being so confrontational and aggressive. Jason was more perceptive. He had a sneaking suspicion. That, and dating a daughter of Aphrodite gave one a sense of these kinds of things._

_Percy tried to elbow his way past Will one more time, but he was roughly shoved back again. He was about to take one more step forward, but something stopped him, something he had not expected out of the son of Apollo who bungled up even the simplest shots of a bow and arrow. The point of Will’s sword was placed right on Percy’s sternum, though not hard enough to draw blood. “Leave, Jackson. I can take care of Nico myself” growled the son of Apollo._

\----------

Jason was shaken from his reminiscence of the previous night’s events by the noise — cacophonous relative to the almost-deafening silence of the Big House — of a pair of surgical-grade steel scissors onto the cart of medical supplies that Andrew had been obsessively fiddling with, sanitizing, and organizing for the past couple of hours. The son of Apollo had been charged by the rest of his cabin-mates to make sure that Will was alright. Unfortunately, he was far too wary of skeletons popping out of the ground again to actually tread into the infirmary at that time.

That was part of the reason that the Big House, and by extension, the infirmary was so blessedly quiet. Word had gotten around camp of what had happened the previous night, and campers were all too afraid to approach, in case of skeletal warrior attacks. Somehow, the son of Jupiter knew that none would be forthcoming. At least not for a while. There was a peaceful, angelic serenity on Nico di Angelo’s face as he slept, contrary to the anguish that had been there the previous night. Whatever nightmares had haunted his dreams then seemed to have dispersed, at least for the time being.

By the son of Hades’ bedside, the son of Apollo sat in a chair, his whole body slumped forward towards the bed, his head lying on his arms folded against the sheets. The two young men looked serene, so jarringly in contrast with the previous night, when there was a determination, anguish, and anger in Will that the once-praetor had never seen before. It was almost as though there had not been a life-threatening situation mere hours beforehand. According to Andrew, neither boy had yet stirred for hours, though Jason could only imagine the toll of the previous night’s events on the two.

The son of Jupiter himself was still tired. Percy and himself _had_ eventually complied with Will’s wish to be left alone to defend Nico on his own, but they had not left the infirmary. They sat in the hallway outside, watching, ready to be backup in case things took a turn for the worse. They never did, but Jason did not think it had been a night wasted. At least they had been there. He didn’t think he could have forgiven himself if he had somehow compromised not only Nico’s safety, but Will’s as well by leaving.

No. That sleepless night had been worth it. Jason and Percy owed the son of Hades so much. Without him, they’d never have found the Doors of Death in Epirus, never have survived the Necromanteion. The once-praetor of Camp Jupiter had developed powerful protective instincts of the young Italian boy who had been browbeaten into confession of his love for Percy Jackson by that bastard Cupid in Salona. Nico had been through so much pain and suffering, that Jason wanted to see him happy for once.

Watching how the son of Hades slept peacefully with the son of Apollo at his side, Jason could not help but think that this, whatever this was between Will and Nico, was at least a step in the right direction. “Nico di Angelo…” muttered the son of Jupiter under his breath. “You, more than any of us, deserve to be happy…” he continued. There was a loud squeak from nearby as Andrew dropped another thing off of the cart, which he then proceeded to obsessively clean for the next little while. The son of Jupiter felt somewhat strange, standing out here in the hallway with the other scrawny son of Apollo.

Andrew kept shooting glances at him. It was uncomfortable. Finally, after a couple of minutes of Jason watching the other demigod out of the corner of his eye, the apprentice healer spoke. Or at least he tried to. Whatever it was that he’d said came out as a squeaky, garbled, unintelligible mess. Andrew took a deep breath. Then he looked at Jason. “Don’t tell him I told you this…” The apprentice healer had looked up to Will for so long that at some point in the past, not that he’d care to admit it anymore, he’d stalked the son of Apollo.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Well…” Andrew said, trailing off. “Well, he doesn’t even know that I know…” the boy’s voice was somewhat high and squeaky and, normally, would have been irritating, but Jason was curious as to what he was getting at. There were a few moments of tense, uncomfortable silence before the son of Apollo finally blurted out, “He likes Nico!” Then, Andrew clapped a hand over his mouth and fled from the infirmary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. There we go. The first chapter of No Mercy for the Storm. This chapter and the next are basically building up to the final chapter, where all hell breaks loose, in a manner of speaking.
> 
> I hope you liked it! I would, as always, love to hear what you think, especially of hyper-protective Will. Leave a kudos if you like the story, and please, do comment your thoughts! I would love to read them, as they help with keeping me motivated with writing this series. <3.
> 
> Also, if you have any questions, you can drop them by my tumblr at [Malkuthe Highwind](http://malkuthe-highwind.tumblr.com/ask)


	2. Charming the Storm

_“Hey! I’m just trying to help!” protested the son of Poseidon, making his way back to the threshold, just in time to witness another group of skeletons rise from the ground. This time, there were eight of them. He growled and tried to push forward but was thrown back again by Will. Before he could collect himself, the son of Apollo was gone. Every other step he took ended a skeleton. Step. Step. Stab. Step. Step. Slash. In sixteen footfalls, the son of Apollo had made one circuit around the infirmary, leaving behind piles of undead dust in his wake._

_“You can’t keep this up forever! There are too many of them! It’s not like Nico will ever run out of skeletons to summon!” Percy yelled, running up to the threshold again only to be blocked by Jason’s arm. The look of pure, unadulterated fury that he received in turn from Will Solace was unexpected, and it made him wilt where he stood a little. He didn’t_ understand _the aggression coming from the normally-levelheaded head counsellor of the Apollo cabin. “Gods! What the hell is wrong with you, Solace?” he shouted._

_The son of Apollo walked up to the threshold, stopping right at the edge. “Are you implying that I can’t handle myself in battle, Jackson?” he snarled, baring his teeth in challenge at the son of Poseidon who backed away for a moment, unsure of how to react. Of all the people to be acting this way, Will Solace truly was one of the last ones he would have expected. “I might not be able to shoot an arrow properly, or even sing, but even I know how to use a fucking sword, son of Poseidon.” Will’s eyes darted back toward Nico. His eyebrows knotted. The son of Hades was fading._

_The son of Apollo turned back to Percy. “Alright, Percy Jackson—” he said, the golden aura surrounding him growing slightly brighter, becoming more visible. “—Duel me. If you win, you’re free to help.” The son of Poseidon locked glances with Jason who was similarly surprised. The son of Jupiter lifted his arm and let Percy walk into the infirmary, uncontested for the first time that night. The son of Poseidon levelled his weapon at the son of Apollo and frowned. “Don’t even think of taking it easy on me, Jackson. Fight me as you would fight Jason.”_

_“Will, what is going on with you right now?” asked Percy as he took a step forward. The son of Apollo moved instantly to keep his advantage. “I’m just trying to_ help _!” he said as he lunged but was deftly dodged by Will. He’d never seen the son of Apollo move so fast before. It was only then that he noticed the golden halo of light around him. A blessing. Great. “I’m warning you, Solace, I’m a very good swordsman. You should just let us help you and let it go.” Jason shook his head. Percy was digging a deep hole for himself._

_Just then, more skeletons clawed their way to the surface world. There were two to either side of Will. He slashed his sword diagonally up and to the right into the face of the nearest one before bringing his arm down behind him, twisting, and thrusting his sword into the chest of another skeleton. It was almost as though the son of Apollo was possessed by a particularly skillful eidolon, only, Percy knew better. He took advantage of the distraction, or at least tried to, but his move was parried almost immediately by Will. “Dream on, Jackson.”_

_Will hurled his sword in Percy’s direction, and of course, he was counting on the other demigod crouching. He did. The blade sailed through the air and dissolved two undead that had been standing behind the son of Poseidon. Percy ran at Will, but the golden-haired demigod was nimble on his feet. He vaulted over Percy and grabbed his sword. “Not bad, not bad” taunted the son of Poseidon, even though, truthfully, he was beginning to doubt whether he would win this fight or not. He noticed a skeleton heading for Nico’s bed. Percy ran for it, sword raised to strike._

_Before he could bring it down and send the undead back from whence it came, his sword was parried, the skeleton was felled, and he was shoved onto his ass. In a single, fluid motion, Will first stabbed the nearest skeleton, then neatly decapitated the last one. He levelled his blade at Percy and waved the tip up three times in the universal gesture of ‘_ get up. _’ The son of Poseidon growled and launched himself at Will, but the son of Apollo quickly parried, disarmed, and gut-punched him in succession. Percy’s knees buckled and he sagged to the floor, Anaklusmos turning back into a pen._

 _The son of Apollo picked up the son of Poseidon by the shoulders and shoved him roughly out of the infirmary, kicking the sword-pen out with him. “The infirmary is_ my _workplace. It is_ my _responsibility. Don’t you dare insult my ability to do battle here” growled Will, stark blue eyes boring into Percy’s soft sea-green ones. Frankly the son of Poseidon was slightly terrified by the change in demeanour of the son of Apollo, though it wasn’t nearly as much as he had been facing Tartarus, not that it was a fair comparison to make. Nothing much could be likened to the absolute terror and helplessness that the Lord of the Pit could inspire._

_Another wave of skeletal soldiers rose. Another wave was destroyed. Watching Will, with his golden aura weave through the enemies and end them with precise strikes each time, was almost enchanting, if it did not mean that he was standing in the way of Percy and Jason defending Nico. “Leave!” yelled the son of Apollo at Percy when he was done. “I can handle myself! I don’t need your face distracting me!”_

_Percy stiffened where he stood and walked off, but not too far. Twelve paces down the hallway. Then he turned around and sat. He wasn’t about to leave in case the situation got out of hand, but judging by the martial prowess that Will had demonstrated with this blessing of his, the son of Poseidon was quite certain things wouldn’t go askew. He was still slightly irritated he couldn’t help defend Nico. He still felt somewhat guilty for being so dense all the years he’d known the son of Hades. Jason, on the other hand, continued quietly watching Will, judging if he should try the same tactic as Percy._

_It was becoming apparent that he was not going to be able to stand against the son of Apollo, not as he currently was, imbued with divine power. Minutes later the flow of undead began to lessen, until they no longer came out in groups, and the interval between each arrival began to lengthen. Jason watched Will. He could tell that the son of Apollo was counting the time between undead warriors. If there was a pattern, then it would be easier to deal with. It was a combat skill that he’d not known Will was aware of. Then again, it might just have been the blessing._

_Jason joined the son of Apollo in counting. Three minutes and forty-two seconds. That was the length of time. Will would disagree with him. The son of Apollo’s count was three minutes and forty-three seconds, but that was inconsequential. The son of Jupiter figured that it was enough for him to talk to the son of Apollo. He took one step into the infirmary._

_Two seconds later, he was being pushed back, a celestial bronze blade pressed into the middle of his chest. “I just wanted to talk, Will.”_

_\----------_

Andrew was still gone. Jason hadn’t bothered chasing down the boy for an explanation, or even reassurance that he wasn’t going to say anything. That particular son of Apollo had only confirmed what he’d suspected from the way that the _other_ son of Apollo, currently still sleeping, still motionless on Nico’s bed, had acted the previous night. He was shaken out of his reminiscence by the sound of someone walking up to him. He cracked open his eyes, which he’d not realized he’d closed, and smiled warmly at the girl that stood in front of him.

Jason Grace was more tired than he realized, but some of that washed away at the sight of his girlfriend. She took one look at him, clucked her tongue, and leaned against the opposite side of the doorframe, watching him with a concerned expression. “No, they haven’t stirred. Not even a muscle…” he said, trying to parse that look in her eyes. Apparently he was wrong. She sighed and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The gesture was appreciated, and Jason found himself blushing ever so slightly. He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he righted his posture and turned to face the two sleeping demigods in the infirmary.

“Jason…” said the daughter of Aphrodite. “Maybe you should go back to your cabin and get some sleep.” The son of Jupiter shook his head. He was going to stay and watch over Nico and Will until they woke up. “But Jason, you haven’t even had a wink of sleep today” said Piper, squeezing his arm and giving him that _‘don’t give me shit right now, Grace’_ look. “I can watch them for you if you want. They’re my friends, too, you know.”

“I know, Pipes, but…” she raised an eyebrow at him, as though daring him to tell her that he wasn’t going to do as she said. “I… You know I can’t tell you why, right?” she nodded, noting bitterly that this seemed to be one secret that her boyfriend seemed completely determined to keep from her. “I feel personally responsible for Nico… I want to see him happy…” The son of Jupiter sighed. He’d talked to Reyna about it. He knew she’d shared strength with Nico. He knew she’d experienced the son of Hades’ pain as well. It was a difficult burden to bear.

“What happened on that day at Salona?” Piper was sorely tempted to use charmspeak to get the truth from her boyfriend, but she’d long sworn that she was not going to do such a thing to Jason. That would be an explicit betrayal of trust, and the last thing she wanted to do was break the trust of the boy that she’d fallen in love with. “I just wish you could tell me…” Jason opened his mouth to say something, but Piper shushed him. “I know, I know, all in due time, and when _he’s_ ready to tell me.”

“I’m sorry, Pipes, I really am… But it’s not something I have any right to divulge. Besides. I swore to him I wouldn’t tell anyone.” Truth be told, Jason was having a hard time _not_ telling everyone else. He knew Nico needed a support group, and any circle of friends would not be able to perform as a support system for the son of Hades if they did not know exactly who he was. “Not until he was ready for it to get out there, at least” Then he noticed the gleam in Piper’s eyes.

“Annabeth told me” she said, a small smile tugging on her lips. “And you’ve pretty much just confirmed it…” Jason looked crestfallen. “Oh, Jason, don’t look so sad. Nico _told_ Percy and Annabeth.” Almost instantly, the expression on the son of Jupiter’s face brightened. Piper laughed, and Jason couldn’t help but blush even more. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Jason. It’s great that you’re concerned for your friends. Besides. I would have figured it out eventually” teased the daughter of Aphrodite. “I am, after all, a daughter of Aphrodite. This kind of thing is in my blood!”

The son of Jupiter rolled his eyes, earning him a swat on the shoulder. “That’s great… It means he’s accepting himself more…” Piper smiled and squeezed her boyfriend’s arm. The son of Jupiter leaned down, careful to not drop his glasses, and kissed the daughter of Aphrodite. “Maybe now he can finally come to terms with the fact that he has friends that care.”

“I think he’s always known that…” said the daughter of Aphrodite, looking over wistfully at the two sleeping demigods. “I just think he never thought he was deserving of it. He probably blamed himself for a lot of things. I don’t know what he’s been through. I don’t think I’ll ever know. I don’t think I _want_ to know, but it doesn’t take a god of prophecy to see that he’s been through a lot.” Jason nodded. He didn’t blame Piper. Like he’d told Reyna, Nico’s pains were a difficult burden to share.

“Anyway, Jason” she said, sternly, placing her fists on her hips. “ _You will go get some sleep,_ ” she continued, laying the charmspeak thick on her words. The son of Jupiter almost stood no chance in his sleep-deprived state. Sleep was what he wanted to hear, but he shook his head and cleared it of the compulsion.

“Jason!” she protested. “I know you’re concerned, but that’s not going to help anyone if you keel over dead because of exhaustion—” Jason opened his mouth to protest but was summarily shushed by Piper’s finger on his lips. “— _You’ve been working hard. Take a break. Relax. Sleep._ ” She’d learned to control her charmspeak even more ever since they defeated Gaea, and Jason finally succumbed to the compulsion. He yawned, stretched his arms, sagged against the doorframe, and slid down, head lolling onto his chest when he hit the floor.

Piper stared at her boyfriend for a good minute or two, somewhat shocked, before she gathered her wits about her. “I should have told him to go to his cabin first…” she grumbled, bending over and dragging the son of Jupiter into the infirmary and setting him on the floor to the side, just inside the door. She walked over to the nearest bed, grabbed a pillow, and slid it underneath Jason’s head. She kissed his forehead before removing his glasses from his face. “Boys…” she sighed. She sat down on the nearby bed and continued to watch the two other demigods from a distance.

Piper McLean was not quite as close to Nico di Angelo as her boyfriend was, but that did not mean she was any less concerned for his well-being. She’d seen his loneliness, his suffering, his pain. Children of the underworld seemed to be fated to lead quite tragic lives. Nico and Hazel seemed to not have been exceptions, but Hazel had had her happy ending, her second chance at life, with a centurionship in her pocket, and a praetor for a boyfriend. She could only hope Nico would obtain similar happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. There we go. I hope you liked this chapter. :3.
> 
> Dear Percy, please don't be stupid. You should know better than aggravate someone who is not only experiencing bloodlust, but is also under the influence of a divine blessing. Sincerely, people who don't want Will Solace to run you through with a celestial bronze sword. Also, Nico never _really_ told Annabeth to not tell anyone... sooooo... His secret's going to get out there, at least among the Seven and their closest allies during that quest.
> 
> I'd like to hear what you think of Will losing his shit! Comment! I'd love to see your feedback. <3.


	3. Raising the Sun

_The son of Jupiter raised his hands, the universal sign of surrender and peaceful intentions. Jason let his weapon clatter on the floor. “Why won’t you let us help you?” The expressions that flitted across Will Solace’s face were almost too quick to discern, but they were there, and Jason was able to spot them all. Anger. Resentment. Loathing. Then, as quick as they had come, as though fleeting memories of dreams upon waking, they were replaced by an annoyed, but otherwise apathetic look. It was strange, to say the least, seeing Will act this way, but Jason had suspicions._

_“Do I look like I fucking need help, golden boy?” growled the son of Apollo, letting the celestial bronze sword drop to his side. Jason Grace son of Jupiter, once-praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, favoured by the senate for the position of Pontifex Maximus, good-looking, a warrior through and through, and a kind soul to boot. You couldn’t get any more perfect, mused Will silently. He couldn’t help the jealousy and envy. He was, not to mention, the closest one of the Seven to Nico di Angelo, it seemed. The son of Apollo gritted his teeth._

_Not only did Jason Grace seem to not have any problems fitting in with the Greeks despite being a Roman, he was quick to make many friends in camp. The head healer was tempted to pluck the glasses off of the bridge of the son of Jupiter’s nose and snap them. A skeleton rose. Will dispatched it quickly. “I don’t need any of your pity, or your sympathy, son of Jupiter.” The Roman winced at the title. Son of Jupiter. If there was one place that Will Solace didn’t think Jason Grace belonged, it was at camp half-blood._

_The son of Apollo was very jealous of how close the son of Jupiter had seemed to Nico di Angelo. If it had been_ anyone else _that had knocked at the door of Cabin 13 so early in the morning, he was fairly certain they would have received either a cold shoulder, or things thrown at them by the son of Hades. Jason had been welcomed. “I don’t owe you an explanation for what I am doing. I don’t owe you a justification. I don’t owe you anything, Romani.” Will Solace snarled, his eyes boring into Jason’s._

_“Yes. Yes you do!” retorted the son of Jupiter. “Nico is our friend!” Will’s grip on his sword tightened. If he had been a little more jealous, his eyes would have turned as green as Percy’s. “We went through a long journey together!” The son of Apollo gritted his teeth, his knuckles on his sword-hand turning white. “We sacrificed much together.” His hand tightened even more. It was as if he was trying to crush the grip of the sword. “I have seen his pain, and I want to know why you won’t let us help you help him! We deserve to know. He’s our friend!”_

_Will opened his mouth to say something, but what Jason said next, in a soft voice that made it hurt all the more, shut him up almost instantly. “What are you to him? You’re just the healer taking care of him right now.” There were a few moments of silence between the two blond demigods. It stretched on. It almost felt like eternity for the son of Jupiter. Then, without warning, faster than even his combat reflexes could comprehend, he felt a sting on the side of his face, just above his cheekbone, right under the frame of his glasses._

_Gingerly, the son of Jupiter raised his fingers to the cut on his face. It was bleeding. The wound was small, thin, and shallow, but the message was clear. Will Solace was definitely not someone to be messing with. Nevertheless, he did not regret his choice to intentionally aggravate the healer. If anything, it was only proving his suspicions further. There was something more than a professional relationship between Nico and Will, or at least, the son of Apollo viewed Nico as more than just a patient. “He is_ my _patient. He is_ my _responsibility!”_

 _“If anyone is going to protect him from himself, it will be_ me _!.” Jason calmly held Will’s burning glare for a few moments, before all of a sudden, the son of Apollo clapped his free hand over his mouth as though he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just said to the son of Jupiter._

 _Then, in a more sympathetic tone of voice that only made Will bristle, Jason said, “You don’t have to prove anything.” Jason could see that there was pain clearly evident in Will’s stature, and in his eyes. It was disturbingly similar to Nico’s. He breathed deeply. He was going to_ try _and help. Maybe not by killing skeletons, but maybe by helping Will with whatever he was dealing with._

_“You know Cecil has been going around telling everyone of what you all did during that final battle of the war” said the son of Jupiter. He’d heard it only after the fact. The only reason Camp Half-Blood was still standing was because of the bravery of four Greek demigods, infiltrating the Legion and modifying the firing paths of the onagers. “I’ve seen you work as a battle medic…” The son of Jupiter gestured at the piles of undead dust. “I’ve seen you in battle. It’s admirable, really.”_

_The son of Apollo nearly dropped his sword. He gawked at the son of Jupiter for a moment. Then a skeleton clawed its way out of the ground. Will ran off and cut it down, returning with an unreadable expression on his face. “The most I did was run away from six Roman soldiers and fail at stopping Octavian from hurling himself up to his doom in a massive ball of fire. What is there that is admirable about that?” Will paused. Then the laugh that slipped his lips was artificial and bitter. “Why am I even telling you this? You, of all people, wouldn’t understand me.”_

_Will held up a hand when Jason opened his mouth to protest. “Shut up and let me finish. You wouldn’t understand. No one would understand. There_ is _something I have to prove, and whatever that something is, I am not obliged to tell you.” The son of Apollo paused, glaring at the son of Jupiter. “I have to prove what I need to prove to myself. So_ fuck _off. I don’t need your help. I can take care of these skeletons—” Will paused._

_The words ‘and Nico’ hung unspoken in the air, but both demigods knew they were there. “—just fine. I don’t need your sympathy or your pity. Leave. Fuck off. I don’t need anything from you, Romani, or from Jackson.” The son of Apollo spit to the side, stiffening where he stood. He turned his back, rigid, to the son of Jupiter and made his way back to Nico._

_When Will was halfway there, Jason said, “Will—” The healer stopped in his tracks. “—No one understands… Except Nico, right?” The son of Apollo froze where he stood, rooted to the spot._

_Without turning around to face the son of Jupiter, but more to hide the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes than spite, he pointed backward right out the hallway leading into the infirmary. “Leave!” he yelled, voice cracking only a little._

\----------

Will was the first to stir from his slumber. His forehead was completely red where it had rested against his arm. That being said, the skin on his arm where he’d rested his forehead was also a similar shade. He blinked the sleep from his eyes blearily, casting his gaze about to find Nico. The son of Hades was still on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

The son of Apollo couldn’t help the relieved smile that spread across his face at the sight of Nico di Angelo’s angelic sleeping face. It was so much more serene than his face when he’d been having his nightmare. Will was sorely tempted to reach out and caress the son of Hades’ cheek, but he knew better than to do that. He wasn’t about to violate Nico’s trust by touching him without his permission. Needless to say, the tranquility that had settled over Nico tugged at his heart and made the smile on his face grow brighter.

“Oh. Hi, Piper…” he said, stifling a yawn as he stretched his arms to either side of his head. He rose from his chair and stretched the rest of his body, willing his limbs to wake from their slumber. He was still feeling somewhat groggy, but seeing Nico sleeping so calmly was giving him a surge of energy that he could not explain. He looked over in Piper’s direction, eyes narrowing when he saw the son of Jupiter lying on the floor just inside the doorway. “Is Grace alright?” he asked tersely, unable to help it.

Piper took notice but said nothing. Instead, she just nodded in affirmation. “He’s just tired” she admitted. “He didn’t want to leave the infirmary until you two woke up. He’s been up for pretty much twenty-four hours now.” Will couldn’t help but reflexively wince. He felt somewhat guilty for that, but he _had_ told Jason to leave. Then, there was also the fact that he was still jealous of the bond that the son of Jupiter had with Nico. No apologies would be forthcoming from him. Especially not after he’d so easily pierced through Will’s justifications for his actions.

“I’m going to head out to talk to Chiron for a little bit…” he said slowly. He’d meant to do that earlier, not expecting to fall asleep by Nico’s bedside. “I hope you don’t mind, but could you watch Nico for me while I’m out?” he asked Piper. He didn’t feel very threatened by the daughter of Aphrodite, though he didn’t know why. Piper nodded, smiling. The way she looked at him, though, as if she was measuring his worth, was unsettling. He smiled curtly at her before dashing out the door to apologize to the centaur and ask for permission to stay over at the Hades cabin after Nico's discharge. For medical reasons, of course. Or at least that was what he told himself.

As soon as Piper was sure Will was out of the infirmary, the daughter of Aphrodite nudged her boyfriend’s shoulder with her foot. Jason had told her about what happened the previous night as she force-fed him ambrosia for the wound that Will had left him with. She had not wanted there to be another showdown between the two if it could be helped, even though she was confident Jason was doing only what he thought was best.

The son of Jupiter sputtered and woke up, mumbling something unintelligible save for eagles and cheeseburgers. Whatever he had been dreaming about, Piper did not want to know. She made a face at the thought of a cheeseburger. She was vegetarian after all. “Will’s awake and I think Nico’s waking up too” she said in a hushed voice. Up until that point, Jason had been taking his precious time waking up, stretching his arms, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The moment Piper said that Nico might have been waking up, he sat bolt upright, as though he’d just been struck by his father’s lightning.

Considering that he’d become quite good friends with a son of Hades, Jason would not put it past Zeus to, in a misguided attempt to ‘ _discipline_ ’ him, zap him with lightning. His father was not the best dad, especially not with the temper problem. He wasn’t entirely sure Zeus knew how mortals worked either, only that he knew how to get them pregnant with his children.

Jason chased the thoughts out of his mind, and, tangling his fingers with Piper’s, the two demigods made their way to Nico’s bedside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it, folks. One more chapter to go... (OR IS IT?! DUN DUN DUNNN)
> 
> WILL SOLACE IS A JEALOUS BITCH, FOLKS. There is no one he is more jealous of than Jason fuckin' Grace, and he can't hate the guy because the guy is just so... perfect! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked it! Comment your thoughts! I would love to hear what you think of the dynamic between Will and Jason. It's going to come to a head in the next chapter. Because shit, ladies and gentlemen, is about to hit the fan. 
> 
> Send me any questions on my tumblr! [Malkuthe Highwind](http://malkuthe-highwind.tumblr.com)
> 
> *looks around* *CACKLES EVILLY*


	4. Enduring the Darkness

Nico yawned and stretched his arms over his head. He’d not had such a good long, restful sleep in a long while. Too much had been going on. There had been a lot to deal with. Guilt over Octavian. Fear that Will hated him because of that. He didn’t even completely understand why what Will thought was suddenly so important to him. He blinked twice, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes, but the best he could get was a blurry, low-resolution image of the world. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to clear up.

The first thing he noticed was a mop of blond hair with a weary-but-smiling face associated with it, looking down at him as though absolutely thrilled he was awake. “Go away, Solace. It’s too fucking early in the morning!” Jason froze. Nico threw his arm over his eyes. Piper looked absolutely scandalized. This was the first time that she had heard Nico swear, and it was, strangely endearing, the way that the words hesitantly rolled off of his tongue as though he wasn’t quite used to swearing just yet. It often escaped her just how _young_ Nico was relative to them.

The daughter of Aphrodite started giggling. The son of Hades froze in the middle of rolling on his side to turn his back to Will-but-actually-Jason. He lifted his arm from his eyes and turned in the direction of Piper’s laughter. She made a small wave at him with her hand, which, in somewhat of a daze, he reciprocated. “Hi, Nico” she said, still giggling uncontrollably. He was somewhat disappointed that it had not been Will but rather Jason that had been smiling over him, but he wasn’t going to admit or acknowledge that thought any time soon.

“Welcome back to the world of the living, Nico” said the son of Jupiter, beaming widely at him.

“Mmph!” he groaned, rolling over onto his side away from Jason. “Too early for visitors. Go away. I liked the world of the dead better.” Piper started laughing. Nico was sort of cute when he was completely disorientated.

In his dreams, the son of Hades had been partying in Elysium, which should not have been nearly as terrifying as his experience in Tartarus, but in a way, was. He’d never felt more uncomfortable than he’d been in that dream, standing in a milling throng of dead demigods at a concert for some artist he didn’t even recognize.

There had been someone that stayed with him in a corner well-away from the crowd, slow-dancing with him to a strange but soulful music. He couldn’t remember properly, but the guy in the dream had vaguely looked like Jason. Or Will. Either of the two. The son of Hades’ memory of his dream during his sleep was not the best.

“Too early for the moon to rise, you should say, Nico” teased the son of Jupiter.

The son of Hades acted like he’d been electrocuted. For a split-second he glared at Jason accusingly, certain that he _had_ been electrocuted. Piper giggled. Jason raised his hands in innocence. Without sitting up — he really couldn’t sit up without great effort — his eyes darted about, searching for the nearest window into the outside world. He found it. Sure enough, outside, the camp was washed in the colours of sunset. It was a beautiful sight, but more than a little distressing for the son of Hades. “How long have I been out?” asked Nico, missing the mischievous glint that appeared in Jason’s eyes.

“A week” said the son of Jupiter.

The son of Hades sat up straight in his bed, sure that he’d been electrocuted a second time. He was ready to bolt out the door, until he saw Piper cover her mouth, to try and stifle her laughter, and smack Jason on the shoulder. “He’s just messing with you, Nico” she said.

“Grace…” said the son of Hades, trailing off and sorely tempted to punch the guy in the face for that. “Fuck you.” Jason rolled his eyes. Piper, who’d taken to biting her fist, lost it and started giggling uncontrollably again. “Seriously, though?”

“All day” said the son of Jupiter. That wasn’t much better. Three days had passed. Four, now, technically, and he’d only promised the son of Apollo three. He was supposed to be gone, and he did not want to be intruding on Will’s time too much. Besides, some of his conversations with the son of Apollo weren’t very good at lifting his spirits either, which was something he could use a lot of. “You were out pretty much all night, having nightmares, and summoning hordes of skeletal warriors.” Hordes? Will had told him there was only one every three minutes and forty-three seconds.

“Hordes?” Nico managed to croak out as he fell back onto his pillows. Piper leaned down and adjusted them for him. He smiled gratefully at the daughter of Aphrodite, who smiled tightly back at him, though he could tell it was because she was trying not to break out into giggles again. Was him swearing really that novel and humorous? He was beginning to feel a little self-conscious around the girl. “Will said there was only one every…” he was tempted to say the interval but decided it was irrelevant. “Anyway. He said there was only one very so often…” Nico suddenly felt quite bad.

“One every three minutes and forty-two seconds” blurted out the son of Jupiter, grinning. He’d been right. Will _had_ been keeping track of the interval in between the skeletal soldiers rising towards the end of the night.

“One every three minutes and forty-three seconds, actually…” said Nico. The look of disappointment and disbelief on the son of Jupiter’s face was enough to make the son of Hades join Piper in laughing. It was a bit uncomfortable, laughter, but Nico endured. It was too funny to let pass.

Jason scowled. Then he shook his head and smiled. “Well, for the first fifteen minutes or so, it was about seven or eight every minute…” Nico looked aghast. He’d actually put Will’s life in danger. “Don’t worry about it. You should have seen Solace last night. He was a whirlwind…” There was a tone of admiration in Jason’s voice. Despite his guilt over having potentially endangered the son of Apollo, Nico couldn’t help but feel quite jealous that he’d not seen this whirlwind Will himself.

“Thanks…” said Nico. “For helping him. I didn’t know you came…” managed the son of Hades. He could just _barely_ find his voice. Gods, he’d put Will Solace in actual danger. What he did not understand, however, was why the son of Apollo had elected to not tell him that there had been many more skeletal soldiers in the beginning.

Jason cocked an eyebrow at Nico. “You don’t need to thank me or Percy for helping him.” The son of Hades frowned and opened his mouth to insist on it, but the son of Jupiter shushed him. “Let me finish, Nico. He didn’t _let_ us help.” The son of Hades looked like he was about to choke. _Just_ a healer his ass indeed. Anyone would have had trouble dealing with two or three of his skeletal warriors. Percy and Jason combined might have had trouble. Will had managed them just fine on his own. Nico mentally rolled his eyes. If only the son of Apollo could see what he was capable of.

A smirk appeared on Jason’s face. “You should have seen Jackson’s face. He was pouting so much! Will beat him in a duel and threw him out of the infirmary because he kept trying to insist on going in.” Piper rolled her eyes.

“Is _everything_ a competition to you two boys?” asked the daughter of Aphrodite. Despite not being the object of the question, even Nico blurted out a ‘yes’ at the same time as Jason, the rivalries between children of the Big Three coming to the surface as they smiled at each other. Piper rolled her eyes. “Boys…”

“We’re children of the Big Three, Piper. Competition runs in our veins!” said the son of Jupiter. Nico rolled his eyes but stuck his tongue out at Jason. “See?” he said, pointing at the face the son of Hades was making at him.

“Anyway, Will almost ran him through with a sword when he tried to force his way into the infirmary!” Frankly, the idea was ridiculous to Nico. Sure, he’d seen the son of Apollo as a battle medic, but the concept of Will being so brazen as to threaten Percy Jackson and challenge and actually _beat_ him in a duel was so bizarre. “You should have seen Percy’s face” said Jason, conveniently leaving out the fact that _he_ had almost been run through by Will’s sword as well. Although, that one did not need to be said. He’d done it on purpose.

“I think he likes you.”

Nico turned scarlet. Piper elbowed her boyfriend. “You can’t just go around telling people that!” Nico was trying to avoid Piper’s gaze. “Nico, I know about the whole Percy thing. Annabeth confided in me.” He turned even redder. He should have told Annabeth to keep it to herself for a little while longer. “You have nothing to worry about, Nico. We’re all alright with it. It doesn’t matter to us. You’re still our friend” said the daughter of Aphrodite. “Trust me, I know these things.”

Piper reached down and squeezed Nico’s hand. He smiled up at her appreciatively. “But…” he managed, still a bit flustered, “…can we maybe keep it our little secret for a little while? I’m not sure I’m ready for everyone to know.”

“Of course.” He squeezed Piper’s hand gratefully. He knew Annabeth, she wouldn’t tell the others. She would respect that he would want to tell them in his own time, but he could understand why she confided in Piper. She probably wanted her to check on him, if he was really alright with letting his feelings for Percy go. In truth, he still sort of had something for the son of Poseidon, but it was a small voice in the back of his head, a small flutter in his chest whenever he saw Percy. It was not the full-blown infatuation of his childhood, with the near-mythological Percy Jackson.

“But I really think he likes you! I’ve never seen Will act like that…” said the son of Jupiter, earning him another elbowing from Piper. “But it’s a valid guess, Piper!” she was trying her best to make her face look neutral, but from what Nico could see she was trying to hold back, it seemed like she agreed with Jason.

“Can we not speculate on who may or may not like me?” pleaded the sable-haired Italian. He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to be shot down. Besides, he was fairly convinced Will was with Lou Ellen.

“Speaking of whom… Where _is_ Will?” asked the son of Hades, feeling a little bit apprehensive. Maybe the son of Apollo resented him for putting him in danger? No. That wouldn’t make sense. He’d stayed by Nico’s bedside in the morning and brought him back from the brink of fading again.

Jason looked at Piper. “Uhh… Well, he said he was going to go and talk to Chiron.” Nico shot her a puzzled look. It was echoed by Jason’s arched eyebrow. She’d not really told him what Will was going for. “I don’t know why. He just said he’d talk to Chiron.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Will Solace chose that very moment to return to the infirmary. “Thank you, Piper” he said pleasantly, though his tone became a bit more stiff the moment he saw Jason sitting in his chair by Nico’s side. “I was talking to Chiron about staying over at the Hades cabin.”

Jason’s jaw went slack. Piper had an ‘ _oooooooooh_ ’ expression on her face, and Nico, well, the son of Hades had a look to his face that seemed like it was caught in between embarrassment, eagerness, apprehension, and outrage. It was a strange, and truthfully, quite perplexing combination of emotions. Nico decided to stick with the one that he knew best: outrage. “Excuse me?” sputtered the dark-haired demigod, growing redder by the second. “That’s _my_ cabin you’re talking about! You can’t just decide to stay there without my permission!”

Will Solace shrugged, making the Italian grow even more incensed. “I don’t know what you’ve got in that thick skull of yours, Solace, but I am _not_ a fragile daisy that will fall apart at the slightest touch!” The son of Hades’ anger bored into Will, but the healer stared him down with an equally stubborn glare.

“Nico” said Jason, reaching over and squeezing the son of Hades’ shoulder, shaking him out of his fury. Piper, on the other hand, watched Will. There was a momentary, but intense jealousy that crossed the son of Apollo’s face. Then, as quick as it had come, it was replaced by a more professional expression. “Nico, Will is just trying to help.”

The son of Hades growled and shook the hand off of his shoulder. Part of him so badly wanted Will to be there, to stay with him at his cabin and look after him, but the greater part of him was angry at himself for feeling that way. He was not some broken thing to be healed or fixed or helped. “I don’t need help, Jason! I am perfectly fine!” he said. To drive home the point, or at least attempt to, the son of Hades swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Nico got down and stood up on his own two feet, unsupported. He grinned with triumph. “See?” he said. It lasted only a second at most. His knees turned to jelly and buckled. He pitched dangerously forward. Piper made a strangled sound. Jason jumped to his feet. Ultimately, though, the son of Hades fell into the waiting arms of Will Solace.

This was the second time that the son of Apollo had prevented him from falling. It was already getting tiresome. He steadied himself, grabbing the edge of the bed, and pushed Will away.

Or, at least, he tried to. His arms felt like cooked pasta, soft and limp. Will barely even budged from where he stood, looking sternly at the son of Hades. “Not a word” grumbled the dark-haired demigod, glaring at the three other demigods standing around his bed.

Will rolled his eyes and said, “What I see is that you need rest, and someone to watch you just in case something like last night happens again.” Nico glared at the son of Apollo and opened his mouth to protest. He was going to say something about the Hades cabin being safe for that kind of thing, even though he wasn’t entirely sure himself. “Look, I understand you want your privacy, and I understand you don’t like feeling like you need to be taken care of, but frankly, you don’t have a choice. I mean, look at you!”

Jason cleared his throat, as though to tell Will that that hadn’t been the best way to phrase things. The son of Apollo shot him a sweltering glare that made him sit back down in the chair. Nico looked more than a little self-conscious after what Will had said, but he knew it to be true.

“Look, what I mean to say, Nico, is that you are in no condition to be leaving the infirmary any time soon. Even when you do, you are probably not going to be in any condition to do any serious Underworld-ly stuff for a long time afterwards.” The son of Hades shot Will a challenging glare. The son of Apollo stared him down. Nico hung his head. Will was probably right. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to rebel. “Given how stubborn you sons of the Big Three are, I don’t think I can trust you to keep to that, so you need someone to watch you.”

Nico opened his mouth to protest again, but Will talked over him, not even letting him get a word in. “I know you don’t like it, Nico, but even if you did promise me on the Styx that you wouldn’t do any more Underworld magic until I clear you, you still might not be able to help it when you have nightmares.” The son of Hades hung his head again. The son of Apollo was making very erudite points. He couldn’t contest them, even if he was uncomfortable with them.

“And if I need to handcuff you to the bed to make sure you don’t do any Underworld-ly stuff like shadow-travelling, I will do it!” Nico turned bright red. Jason burst out laughing at the same time that Piper started giggling. They were both promptly silenced by simultaneous glares from the two other demigods in the infirmary. “I’m going to say it one more time, Nico di Angelo, and you better tell your dream-self about this, too. No more Underworld-ly stuff! Doctor’s orders!” said Will, moving in to guide Nico back to his position on the bed.

The son of Hades swatted away Will’s hands. Weakly, of course, but the son of Apollo complied. Nico dragged him along the edge of the bed, then flopped onto it. His ears were burning from embarrassment as he dragged himself into his place by the pillow. Once the embarrassment had passed, Nico caught Will’s gaze. The son of Apollo’s expression was unreadable. He stood by the foot of the bed. Nico turned to Jason. “Jason… aren’t you supposed to be working on that shrine for one of Poseidon’s brood?”

“Kymopoleia?” asked the son of Jupiter. Nico nodded. “Percy and Annabeth volunteered to take over for today because I said I’d be keeping an eye on you and Will in case anything happened again.” Will scowled, but his ears betrayed the blush he was fighting down. Nico turned even redder, a feat he’d not thought was even possible. The son of Jupiter clutched Nico’s shoulder again and squeezed it. Intense jealousy flared in Will. Piper noticed the change in the son of Apollo’s demeanour. “Nico’s right, you know. You do need looking after.” The son of Hades scowled at him. “You were fading, Nico. It’s kind of a big deal. You might not like it, but you need help.”

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but he caught sight of something new on Jason’s face. The son of Hades raised a hand and traced the thin scar right on Jason’s cheekbone. Piper looked down at her hand in surprise. She’d not realized that she still had his glasses. The scar was plainly visible. It would not have been visible, had Jason had the frames resting on it. “What happened?” asked Nico, voice soft and accusing.

“It’s nothing, don’t mind it…” said Jason, concern evident on his features. Piper was mentally beating herself up. She felt dread, as though something terrible was about to happen.

“ _What happened?!”_ demanded the son of Hades. The temperature in the room dropped by a handful of degrees. Anger was surging through Nico’s veins. Memories of what had happened when almost the exact same injury had happened to Reyna flooded back.

“Nico. It’s nothing” said Jason, pleading in his voice. He clutched Nico’s arm, but the son of Hades’ eyes were boring into his own, burning with barely-contained fury. Then as he stood, his foot inadvertently kicked out the celestial bronze blade from under the bed where it had rolled after Will dropped it.

The clatter of the sword drew Nico’s eyes to it. He spotted the dried blood on the point of the blade, and he _lost_ it. “You!” he screamed, pointing at Will, his voice sounding so full of darkness, Piper fell to her knees and covered her ears. Pain and suffering radiated from Nico. It made Jason fall back down on his chair. Dark eyes locked with startling blue ones. Will didn’t seem any bit afraid of him. In fact, the stoic expression on the son of Apollo’s face was unreadable. “You hurt my friend!”

“I hurt your friend” responded the son of Apollo flatly, stiffly. Will watched as Jason writhed from the sheer agony that was radiating from Nico. There was a cruel happiness that the son of Apollo felt as the son of Jupiter experienced only pain on the same seat that Will had taken care of Nico for the past few days. The unspoken question hung in the air. _Why?_ Will glanced sideways at Jason. “ _Is_ he just a friend, Nico di Angelo? Or is he much more than that?” demanded the son of Apollo, having the gall to look angry.

Nico screamed incoherently at him, the temperature in the infirmary dropping even more. “I did it because he aggravated me!” the son of Apollo yelled back as the shadows began to swirl around Nico in a veritable hurricane of darkness. “He told me that I was nothing to you! That I was nothing but the healer taking care of you right now! Am I nothing to you? _Am I just a healer?!_ ” demanded the son of Apollo.

Another unintelligible scream came as a response, and torrents of sorrow, anger, pain and suffering, every negative thing that Nico had experienced in the past years, slammed into Will, leaving him gasping for air, but still strong and still glaring at the son of Hades. Will’s form momentary flickered between corporeal and ethereal. Then his limbs turned smoky, and gray, just like Bryce Lawrence’s, when he’d inflicted almost exactly the same injury on Reyna.

The transformation crept up Will’s arms, turning him into a ghost as it went. Still his bright blue eyes bore into Nico’s dark ones, clouded with anger. Just as the son of Apollo was about to be overcome, Jason forged through the terrible things that were keeping him back and he touched Nico’s arm.

Instantly, the storm fell away, and Will collapsed backwards, dazed. He managed to compose himself quickly, and he rose, just in time to see Jason clutch Nico’s wrist. “Nico” said the son of Jupiter as Piper rose and dusted herself off. “Nico, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have said what I said.” Jealousy burned in the pit of Will’s stomach. _He_ wanted to touch Nico. _He_ wanted to comfort the son of Hades. _He_ wanted to be the one beside the Italian’s bed. Such a good job he was doing as the healer in charge of Nico.

“G-gods…” said the son of Hades, realizing what he’d just about done to Will Solace. He snatched his arm away from Jason, looking at him with horror and accusation. Why would the son of Jupiter say such a thing to Will? One of the first people that had accepted him without question. Probably the only person in camp that understood. Then he looked at Will, his expression a mixture of absolute guilt and the same accusation as with Jason. How could Will hurt Nico’s friend when he knew just how important they were to him?

Nico pulled his legs to his knees and curled up into himself, sobbing quietly. Everything was fucked up. He’d thought things would be better after the war with Gaea. It turned out that that had been as much a fantasy as before, when he’d dreamt of finally being accepted at camp after the Battle of Manhattan. He called the shadows to himself, not caring if shadow-travelling would throw him into oblivion. Only, just as he was about to pass through, Will pushed his hands forward and opened them. From his palms streamed blindingly-bright radiance that burned away all the shadows and prevented Nico from leaving.

There was a loud thump. It was the sound of Jason falling back onto the chair. There was a gasp. It was Piper. Will’s hands were smoking. “Leave us” croaked the healer. “Leave us. I want to speak with Nico” Jason opened his mouth to protest. “In private” He sagged against the bed. “Please, Piper?” The daughter of Aphrodite didn’t want to leave, especially after what had just happened, but she understood that the two needed to talk. She walked over to Jason’s side and pulled at him. It took a little while, but eventually, he came away, reluctantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YOU THINK THIS WAS THE LAST CHAPTER?! HAHAHAHAH. JOKE'S ON YOU. I've got a very special chapter coming up with Apollo in store. ;)
> 
> I hope you liked this one, and cookies for the people who got the parallel between what happened to Reyna because of Bryce and what happened to Jason because of Will. That was foreshadowing! >:]. In any case, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanna know what you think of it! So please, comment! <3.
> 
> In any case, you can also send me questions on my tumblr! [Malkuthe Highwind](http://malkuthe-highwind.tumblr.com)


	5. The Final Verse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be asking very important questions at the end! So please, read the author's notes down there. <3.

“Well… That was definitely something, huh, sunshine?” said Will, trying to crack a joke to inject some levity into the situation. The temperature in the infirmary had yet to completely return to normal. “Now, for the last time, starting now, no more Underworld-ly stuff! Doctor’s orders!” he said, managing a chuckle.

The laugh that came from the son of Hades was dry, sarcastic, bitter, and artificial all at the same time. “Why did you do it?” croaked Nico, his voice hoarse from all the yelling he’d done. His throat felt more raw than he had ever felt it before. This was different. Even inside, he felt raw, somewhat betrayed.

“I already told you, Nico” said the son of Apollo, sympathy worming its way into his voice. The son of Hades noted that sympathy bitterly. He’d just about almost been turned into a ghost, and yet Will still felt sympathy for the person that had done that to him instead. He wanted to hate the healer, he very much did, but there was also a part of him that wanted to love Will and wouldn’t let that happen. Even without that part, it was difficult to hate the sincerity of the son of Apollo.

“You aren’t just a healer…” said Nico, stretching out on the bed, his back to Will. “I think you’re a friend…” Mentally, he whispered to himself, _“Maybe more than that.”_ Needless to say, Nico di Angelo was not about to admit that part of his feelings to the son of Apollo. He did not need to fall in love with someone who was as unavailable to him as Percy had been all those years ago. “Look, I don’t fucking know what you are to me.” The words stung Will. “But you’re definitely not just my healer.”

Will breathed deeply. “I’m sorry I lost my temper” he said slowly, tentatively. The son of Hades turned around to face him. “I shouldn’t have struck him, but what he said it just… It just made me _so_ angry.” Will gestured with his hands, clutching his fists and drawing them down to make the point. “I don’t know what came over me, or how I even beat fucking _Percy Jackson_ in a duel, but it was like I was possessed. It was like I had to prove what I had to prove to myself at any costs.”

“What did you have to prove?” asked the son of Hades, his voice as soft as a whisper in the wind, but just loud enough for Will to hear where he stood at the foot of the bed. The son of Apollo walked over to the chair that Jason had abandoned and plopped himself down. He looked at the floor, then at his hands that were still steaming slightly. “Why did what Jason say make you so angry? Why did you refuse their help? Why did you throw Percy out when he tried to help you? They were only trying to help!”

Will’s hand shot out as he turned to face Nico, but he managed to stop it, hovering just a few centimetres above the skin of the son of Hades’ hand. “That I could take care of you. That I could protect you myself.” The son of Apollo squeezed his eyes shut, as though doing that would shut out the horrible things he’d said to Percy and Jason, the pain he’d inflicted on the son of Jupiter, the turmoil he was now causing the son of Hades.

Will was shaking all over. Nico could tell it wasn’t anger. The golden-haired demigod’s fingers were spread apart, trembling as they hovered in the air above his hand. The son of Apollo was trying his best to keep his hands steady, but they wouldn’t. His foot was tapping incessantly on the floor. His leg shaking up and down. He was nervous. Nico could tell. The son of Hades could sense the fear radiating from the healer.

There was a part of Will that wanted so desperately to go on bended knee and spill his heart out to the son of Hades, tell Nico all about the nights he’d dreamed of maybe holding the Italian’s hand and kissing him, kissing all his fears away. He wanted to tell Nico of how much time he’d spent admiring the son of Hades from a distance, yearning to get the chance to be his friend, to get to know him. However, he knew that that was not a wise course of action. He held himself back. It would only chase away the son of Hades faster if he did that.

“I don’t need protecting, thank you very much,” grumbled the son of Hades begrudgingly. “And you shouldn’t have hurt Jason.” Will shook his head. No. He knew that. He had apologized.

Then memories assaulted his mind’s eye. He saw Bryce Lawrence sinking into the ground, turning into a featureless shade, one of countless many that would wander the Underworld forever, not remembering their past lives, or anything but their misery. He remembered how his fury had just exploded out of his control. Nico gasped, his nostrils flaring. His hand bumped against Will’s for a moment as he clutched it to his chest, staring at it aghast. He backed away from the healer as fast as he could, remembering that he had almost done the same thing to Will as he had to Bryce.

The son of Hades fell over the side of the bed, mumbling unintelligibly. Nico’s eyes were wide, darting wildly from side to side. Will jumped to his feet and ran over to the side where Nico had fallen. “Nico!” the son of Apollo cried out.

“D-don’t come near me! I-it’s not safe! Y-you’re not safe!” he shouted. “L-leave me, Will. I-I almost killed you…” said the son of Hades, staring at his hands. “I-I would understand if you hated me…” He tried to scramble away as Will crept closer to him, but eventually he was backed into the wall.

“Nico. I’m sorry for hurting Jason… I really am…” mostly, at least. There was still the satisfaction of being able to draw blood from the near-legendary figure that was Jason Grace. Will crept even closer. “I thought he was insulting my ability to protect you. I… I should have reacted better.”

Nico kept trying to back away, but he was not going to be able to avoid Will getting inexorably closer. “Nico. Snap out of it!” said the son of Apollo. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m okay. I’m alright.”

The son of Hades nodded, tentatively, but flinched when Will wrapped his arms around Nico. The healer then, with more strength than he seemed to have, lifted Nico from the floor and set him down gently on the bed.

Nico tried to speak but he couldn’t. He tried to breathe, but found that his throat had locked up. He tried again. Nothing. A brief look of panic crossed the son of Apollo’s face. Nico was having a terrible panic-attack. He couldn’t breathe. Will’s hands began trembling again, but he forced down the fear. He needed to have a clear mind to help Nico.

“Nico” he said sternly. “Nico, breathe.” The son of Hades tried. Nothing. Another memory assaulted Nico’s mind’s eye. The nightmare that had caused all this trouble. The very last time he’d died. His lungs, punctured. He was drowning from his own blood. That only made him even more terrified. His hands shot up to claw at his neck, but Will was faster than him. The son of Apollo gripped his wrists tightly even as he tried to fight. Thankfully, Nico was weakened, otherwise Will didn’t know if he would have had the strength to keep the son of Hades’ hands restrained.

“Nico, focus on my breathing.” Will pulled and placed Nico’s left hand on the right side of his chest. The son of Hades did not need to feel his racing heart. That would only stress Nico out even more. Will tried his best to steady his own breathing. It was difficult. Nico was starting to turn a little blue. This was the worst possible time to panic. Will fought down the nauseating terror in bubbling in his stomach.

“In.” Nico tried. His eyes watered. “Out.” He tried again. The calm, but stern instruction was helping somewhat. The tightness in his throat was lessening. “In.” Nico managed a tiny gulp of fresh air before his throat locked up again. “Out.” He drove out the little air he’d managed to get in. Will was starting to find it difficult to keep a level head. This was taking far too long. “In.” One second inhalation. That was better. “Out. In.” The tightness evaporated. Nico gasped for air, but Will shook his head. “Out. In.” The son of Hades nodded and did what he could to follow the rhythm of the rising and falling of Will’s chest. A few tense moments later, Nico was breathing properly again.

“T-thank you…” croaked the sable-haired Italian, clutching his throat with a hand that Will had promptly released. If his throat had felt raw before, it definitely was more so now. He felt like he was breathing in sand. “I-I don’t know what c-came over me…” Nico held his hand over his chest. His heart felt like it was trying to hammer its way out of his ribcage. His eyes were wide. His nostrils were flared. His breath came raggedly, but at least, it came regularly.

A few minutes later, when Nico had calmed down sufficiently, he looked at Will, who had not moved from where he sat on Nico’s bed. The son of Hades paused. That was an odd thought. His bed? He supposed the infirmary had become something of a second home. The bed he was on, a worthy substitute for the one in his cabin. He tried not to think of it like that. “Why do you want to be able to take care of me alone? To protect me on your own?” he asked the son of Apollo, gulping audibly.

The son of Hades rubbed his neck. He couldn’t help it. It felt as though there was a noose around it, a phantom sensation of a loop of rope fastened around his neck, ready to make him stop breathing at some indeterminate point in time. “It’s not like I’m going to be your patient forever…” said the sable-haired demigod. He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his own voice, even though truthfully, some part of Nico _wanted_ to be Will’s patient forever. The other, more prideful part of him, however, would never acknowledge that thought.

Nico had come to enjoy the way that Will took care of him. The gentleness. The warmth. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. It certainly felt like paradise compared to Tartarus. Above all he’d come to love how Will respected his personal space. He shivered, wondering what was happening to him.

The feelings were eerily familiar to the son of Hades, the phantom sensation of Will’s arms around him, holding his wrists. There was a subconscious desire for it. Nico did not like where his heart was leading him. Will had a girlfriend already, he told himself. That Lou Ellen girl. Don’t fall for another Percy.

None of it sounded very convincing to him.

There was a hurt look on Will’s face. Nico didn’t blame him. The way he’d phrased his question, it was almost as though he was implying that he did not appreciate how Will was taking care of him. The son of Apollo looked like there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t. Nico’s heart started hammering in his chest once again. Could Will actually like him back? Like him back? He liked Solace? The admission was something of a shock to him. He’d spent a long time denying what he felt for Percy, now he was admitting some vague feeling for Will to himself just like that.

The son of Hades dared not hope that Will would say those three words that he wanted, yet simultaneously, dreaded to hear. “I-I-I” Will stuttered, face and ears turning a shade of pink, then bright red. Four words came instead of three, and in truth, they weren’t any better. “I can’t tell you!” he blurted out. “Maybe… Maybe someday. I’m sorry. I-I can’t. I-I’m going to get you something to eat. Stay here.” Will was visibly trembling. He jumped off the bed and ran out of the infirmary.

“I’m not going anywhere, Solace… Not like I can…” he said to no one in particular. The son of Apollo was already gone, and in his wake, he’d left a very confused, conflicted, and apprehensive Nico di Angelo.

\----------

Apollo sat around in his prison, his body still in the form of a teenager that he’d assumed during the final battle against the giants. Many of his powers were not working. Zeus had probably seen to that, but one of his children was in dire need of his help. He’d given Will Solace all the remaining strength he could spare. Apollo had a soft spot for children of his that were gay. He remembered, always, the very short time he’d had with Hyacinthus, and though he would never admit it to the other gods, the prince of Sparta was still ever-present in his mind.

Laurels were his symbol. It should have been the Hyacinth. Even though it was many thousands of years ago, the pain of that day still, for some reason, felt as fresh as though it had been yesterday. There were many memories that slipped the minds of the gods. They lived a long time, after all. Why would this one be any different? For all his gift of Prophecy, Apollo could not even begin to understand why that particular memory of the boy remained in his mind.

Nevertheless, he’d never had the courage to visit Hades to find out if, when the first Hyacinth had died, the Lord of the Underworld had claimed his soul. He wanted to know. More so now than ever before, because he knew that he would be laid low by his father. Zeus was very rarely this angry, and when he was, he was anything but merciful. When the night was done, and Will had made sure that Nico was well, Apollo staggered back, shocked at how tired he’d felt after sending most of his remaining spare strength to his son.

The god of Prophecy sat in the middle of his room, aware of the magical bonds that kept him there. Zeus was sure to have heard of what he’d done. If there was anything that would force the King of Olympus’ hand, it would have been that. However, it was not his father that burst through his doors first. It was Artemis. “Brother. What have you done?” she demanded of Apollo, her face pale and aghast. “Are you trying to get yourself thrown into Chaos?” She waved her bow at Apollo. Her twin brother laughed bitterly at her. “Have you gone mad, brother?”

“Father would not throw me into Chaos. That is far too easy a means to be rid of me, too little punishment” spat the god of the Sun. Artemis looked at her brother like he’d grown a pair of horns and buck teeth. He rolled his eyes at himself. Like he would ever debase his fantastic looks by giving himself horns and buck teeth. He wasn’t like the other gods who could disguise themselves as old people. Apollo would always disguise himself as a hot young man, no questions asked. He was simply far too pretty for all that other ugly stuff.

Artemis sighed and left, but she must have run into Zeus because no more than three seconds later, the doors to Apollo’s chambers flew open with such force that they broke off of their hinges and lodged themselves on the far wall. The entire room shook with Zeus’ wrath and the thunderstorm that had formed outside. Gods and goddesses were running around, seeking shelter from the storm brewing on Olympus. The air around Apollo felt electric. It felt almost as though he was in the middle of an array of Tesla coils. “Have you no shame, Apollo? I commanded you to not interfere anymore with your spawn for so long as we are discussing what price you must pay for what you have done.”

The Lord of Olympus thundered, his Master Bolt appearing in his hands, crackling dangerously at Apollo. “I am half-tempted to strike your son down right now to show you what your stupidity is costing the cosmos.” Zeus raised the lightning bolt, but a surge of unbridled fury tore through the god of Prophecy. He tackled his father to the ground, knocking the Master Bolt from his hands. “Unhand me, Apollo!” demanded the King of Heaven.

“You will do no such thing, father!” he said, baring his teeth. Most of his powers had been stripped from him. All that was left to him was his bare hands and his godly strength. It was good that Hyacinthus, being a Prince of Sparta, had taught him combat well. “You will do no harm to my son, or I swear on the river Styx” the skies rumbled with a different dull boom than Zeus’ thunder. “I swear on the river Styx that I will tear Olympus from its foundations with my bare hands!”

The King of Olympus looked scandalized at the words that Apollo had just uttered. It was one thing for one of the Big Three to make an oath on the Styx and break it. They were the most powerful of the Olympians. A god like Apollo? He would have stood no chance. “Why do you do this, Apollo? Why do you risk to provoke my greater wrath for the sake of some demigod spawn of yours?” That was it. A fist flew through the air and connected with Zeus’ jaw. It was Apollo’s. As the Father of the Gods straightened his head, he glared at his son.

“Because I am a father, Lord Zeus” snarled the god of Prophecy. While he was not, and could not be as close to his children as he liked, he still loved them. Will, in particular, because the poor boy had not had the guidance to discover his many different gifts. There was one thing that having Hera as a stepmother had taught him, one thing that Hestia had ingrained into him, that Leto had bestowed on him, it was the idea that family was something that always came first.

“ _I_ am your father, Apollo!”

The god of Prophecy snarled at the King of Olympus, baring his teeth in challenge as he allowed his whole divinity to shine through. “You may be the King of Olympus, Zeus, but _you are no father._ ” Something snapped between the two gods, a tension that not even the throwing of a punch could break. This was tension from years of subjugation under the rule of Zeus. Tension from years of being embarrassed of Apollo and all he did. “No father puts his kingship before his children!” screamed Apollo. Artemis was standing by the doorway, looking harrowed as Apollo dug a deeper and deeper hole for himself.

Zeus screamed unintelligibly in his anger at his son and grabbed Apollo by the throat, lifting him from the floor. The god of the Sun’s brightness dimmed, and he clawed at the hand wrapped around his neck. The Lord of Olympus shook him before pushing him up against the wall, anger burning in his eyes. “And you have brought nothing but shame to our family. You are no son of mine!” yelled the god of Lightning. The entirety of Olympus shook with the force of the words that Zeus had just spoken. It brought momentary clarity to his mind.

Artemis ran into the room and beat on her father’s arm. “Father, stop!” she cried. “Words have power! You must take them back!” the cogs in the Lord of Olympus’ divine mind were already turning. He had just developed the perfect punishment for his wayward son. It would teach him the proper humility, and it would bring him, after many years, cowering at the foot of Zeus’ throne, apologizing for all he’d said and done to shame the name of the Olympians over the millennia. “You must take them back!” repeated Artemis, but she was hurled aside.

“You shall take over the Chariot of the Sun, my daughter. Your brother has failed his duties.” Apollo glared at his father with a loathing that only threatening to kill family would inspire in anyone. He clawed at Zeus’ hand, but it held fast, closing his throat, and dimming his godly light. Zeus let go of Apollo, and the god slid down the wall. Behind where his head had been moments ago was a sizable crack in the marble of his palace. Artemis ran to her brother’s side and cradled his head in her arms.

“You are no King. You are no Father. You are a Monster, Zeus!”

Lightning tore through the roof of Apollo’s palace and broke through the ceiling of the room, striking Zeus as he rose to his full height, his divine radiance drying away the stormclouds that had gathered from its intensity. He picked up his son and shook his head. Artemis beat her fists against his leg but it was far too late for Apollo. Rearing his hand back behind his head, he hurled the god of the Sun down towards the earth. He hurtled down through the skies of Olympus, feeling himself pass through the metaphysical border of that realm.

Instantly, searing pain filled his mind as his entire body burned. The divinity was being sucked out of him. He felt his powers ebb. His strength waned. He glowed with the light of the sun, though he was quickly being extinguished. Burning lances of fire shot from his skin, taking with it ichor that turned from gold to red as it rained down onto the earth. His robes tattered and burned up. Apollo laughed bitterly as he felt a familiar tug in the core of his being. Green smoke began to curl around his form, striking fear into the heart of Zeus as he watched his son fall… and fall… and fall.

The Serpent Python must have had some little sympathy remaining for Apollo. After all, even if the god had killed him, it was an act of vengeance for his mother, something which the serpent knew well enough. What he had done to Leto, he’d done for the Mother Earth. He let slip a little more of the power of prophecy as the sun-god hurtled down to mortal world from the heights of Olympus.

Green smoke streamed from Apollo’s eyes and mouth as his divinity was burned away from his body in great curling jets of fire. He locked eyes with his father and spoke the Final Prophecy of the Age of Olympus.

_Come darkest Night, come brightest Day,_

_The Father’s Bane shall daybreak slay._

_With breaking Dawn and jubilation,_

_Kings shall fall to retribution._

Above the forests of Siberia, a land far from the reach of the gods of Olympus, a place where many a deity had been cast out by the wrath of the Heavens, Apollo’s remaining divinity sundered itself from his body. The brilliant nova that erupted from him, as the last of the divinity that Zeus wanted him to lose burned away, illuminated the entire sky with blinding radiance.

In the crater left behind, a naked, golden-haired boy staggered to his feet and fell to his knees, green smoke evaporating from his body. He was the first to face such punishment. His father had stripped away what divinity had made him a god, but allowed him to retain enough to keep him half-god.

Apollo had become the first _true_ demi-god.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. So. I hope you liked that chapter. I certainly loved writing it and teasing it. ;). Yes, that Prophecy is my own. Yes, you're free to try and interpret it. :3.
> 
> Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts! What do you think of Will being a coward at the pivotal point and running away? And what do you think of what happened to Apollo? Speculate where we'll find him in the next part! Speculate what _happens_ in the next part.  >:]
> 
> On the other hand, guys, I have a lot of things to say about my writing. It's probably going to be far too long to put on here. So, please, do visit my tumblr! [This post right here says it all!](http://malkuthe-highwind.tumblr.com/post/102319755982/realtalk-kinda) So please, read that thing, and send me asks about it.
> 
> As for you folk here on AO3, I'd like to know: would you want more regular updates? Because if you do, I'm going to start updating every Wednesday and Saturday, but that means I would have to postpone the beginning of the next part of the series for a week or two at most.
> 
> Anyway, last words, I hope you liked the series! LEAVE COMMENTS OR I WILL PERSONALLY HURL YOU FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT OLYMPUS!


	6. UPDATE!

The new mini-series is up! [Uncertain as the Dawn](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2620928/chapters/5845100) is on AO3! Go click that link! <3.


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